RECENTLY, in May to be precise, Chipolopolo coach Herve Renard complained about the poor state of the pitch at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola but as usual, he came under fire from the loud-mouthed soccer fans.

Renard said the pitch was so dry and players were finding it difficult to control the ball while the goal nets were torn. Instead of taking time to hear the man out and probe his claims, the coach was derided and accused of fabricating excuses for his alleged ineptitude and talking too much.

But from what I saw when I watched Zambia whack South Africa via penalties in the COSAFA Senior Challenge Cup semi-final on Wednesday, the Frenchman was very was right.

Let's face it people, the pitch is pathetic.Those patches, oh, what a shame!

For such a beautiful edifice, meant to host World Cup and other international matches, it's heartbreaking to see the pitch in that state. What happened to the playing turf?

Shame on whoever is responsible for maintaining the pitch and the stadium as a whole, in this case, they have failed the nation lamentably.

The pitch has deteriorated way below international standards and something needs to be done fast to thwart further deterioration. It's unbelievable to say least.

If I had watched the game on Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation, I would have doubted what I saw because of the poor picture quality on this channel.

But no, I watched the game on Supersport and there it was, very clear for all to see those patches and alarming levels of deterioration.

I just couldn't believe it and still can't. For once, I thought, the game was being played at Musa Kasoka Stadium or just one of those rundown sports facilities somewhere in Ndola.

How wrong I was because it was at our very own gem - the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.

While the infrastructure is still fantastic, the turf is shamefully nothing to write home about. Ironically, the pitch can't even be compared to Nkana or Nkoloma stadiums in its present state.

An equally disappointed colleague at the office narrated how he tried and tried to tune the TV, hoping to balance the picture so as to avoid seeing the patches but did so until he could tune no more.

Sounds like a silly joke, but it happened; all because the man wanted to enjoy the game but the state of the pitch was too disturbing to ignore.

But hold on, there's more disappointing news: the situation is even worse outside and surrounding areas where, the grass has withered too.

I guess someone somewhere will argue that army worms had invaded the pitch a couple of months ago and unceremoniously feasted on the turf.

Yes, we all heard about the army worms and we also know that they have a huge appetite and can ably devour the turf within a short space of time if not checked.

But we also know that they didn't gobble the turf, and therefore, they are not responsible for causing those patches on the pitch. Instead some irresponsible people are.

The pitch is slightly over one and half years old but already, much of the turf is dry while the surface looks rough, obviously because of poor maintenance or lack of it.

In fact, the pitch is so dry that in Wednesday's, game the ball was not bouncing as it should on a normal pitch. Those who cared to scrutinise the game as I did, will concur with me.

I could even see the dry grass stick on players' heads or jerseys once they fell down. It was like someone had just slashed the turf prior to the match.

Surely, those managing the stadium knew about COSAFA tournament way back, and just why they didn't prepare the pitch in readiness for the games is mindboggling.

The Frenchman was right about this whole matter and those who disparaged the coach, accusing him of finding excuses for the team's pitiable performance, now have nothing but egg on their faces.

They must just eat humble pie and apologise now that what the coach bewailed has come to pass.

The question is what happened to the people who are supposed to take care of the turf and why has it been so neglected? I mean what is the problem?

I have tried and tried to understand what on earth could have happened but I have failed. How can people be so negligent so as to let the turf to wither as if there's a water shortage in the stadium?

Surely do we need an expert from outside the country to come and school us on how to maintain the pitch?

The state of the pitch speaks volumes about whoever is managing the stadium at the moment.

At the rate things are moving, I won't be surprised to hear that facilities have been vandalised at the stadium.

For now, I can't fathom the cause of this problem, except to blame it on negligence on the part of those responsible for managing the stadium.

If this be the case, still the question stands, why neglect the pitch?

I mean, there's plenty of water in that stadium and facilities for watering the pitch are of world class standards and a marvel to watch when the watering process is on.

So where is the problem? I still don't understand. I need answers and people out there need answers too. It's only proper that those responsible for looking after the stadium explain to the nation what is happening to the pitch, now!

Well, perhaps we seriously lack skills to manage infrastructure in this country. If so, I won't be surprised because examples are there to justify my conclusion.

The problem of the pitch reminds me of the City Market when It was just built.

Once completed, there was no chaos there as whoever was managing it that time was under stern orders from the then Government to ensure rules at the market were observed.

For, example, no-one was allowed to sell products in undesignated sections of the market. Those selling meat, for instance, had their own places to trade and the same applied to those dealing in clothes, among others.

But with the passage of time, whoever was responsible for managing the market seemed to have relaxed.

As a result, some traders started plying their merchandise in undesignated places, including passages meant for clients.

The resultant effect: today the market has become overcrowded and the infrastructure is slowly being rundown.

What about the Intercity-Bus terminus, where anarchy is an in thing. It's the same sad story and this is just a tip of the iceberg.

Isn't it really shameful that we are now even failing to manage a stadium? In my view, the problem at Levy Manwanawasa Stadium is an eye opener as to what may happen to the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka if we are not careful. It might end up the same way.

What guarantee is there that what has happened at the Levy Mawanawasa Stadium wont' happen to the new stadium in Lusaka since it's not in us to manage infrastructure properly?

I urge the authorities that to learn from what has happened to the pitch at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium and start planning way before handover on how the new facility in Lusaka will be managed and by who.

Let serious property management companies take over the management of both stadiums on behalf of the Government as opposed those that have failed to maintain the turf.

For now, the Government should consider reviewing the contract of the current management company at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium before the turf wilts completely.

This will be so embarrassing and should never be allowed to happen.

Yes, Renard was right about the poor state of the pitch after all!

Comments to: dalinkomiti@gmail.com.